Category: 3. Business

Improving the accuracy of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) incidence estimates among hospitalised adults in Bristol, UK | BMC Infectious Diseases
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Hong Kong’s Funding Cost Surge Is Another Headache for Stocks

Hong Kong’s stock market is facing another speed bump from a recent spike in local funding costs.

The one-month Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate, the city’s money market benchmark known as Hibor, has roughly tripled to above 2.8% in just five sessions. That has made margin financing for equity investors more expensive and undermined one of the few sources of hope for Hong Kong’s beleaguered property market.

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Philippine Corporate Regulator Penalizes Richest Tycoon’s Firm – Bloomberg.com

Philippine Corporate Regulator Penalizes Richest Tycoon’s Firm Bloomberg.com
Villar’s trillion-peso profit collapses after auditor rejects Villar City land valuation InsiderPH
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The Securities and Exchange Commission has fined Villar Land Holdings Corp and its officers for its delay in submission of audited financial statements. Among those named in the issuance of the Markets and Securities Regulation Department are Manny Vill Facebook
Villar Land postpones stockholders’ meeting again amid SEC scrutiny The Manila Times

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Spotify, Netflix hike subscription prices as Aussies face $240 a year blow: ‘Just binned’

Spotify has announced price hikes for Australian subscribers. · Tom Flanagan/Getty

Spotify and Netflix are hiking prices again, with Australians now forking out hundreds of dollars more for once budget-friendly streaming services. Another round of price rises has been enough for under-pressure subscribers to walk away from the services.

Spotify announced its latest round of price hikes to customers via email this week, noting the increase was needed so it could “continue to innovate on our product offerings and features and bring users the best experience”. Spotify Premium subscriptions will increase from $13.99 to $15.99 a month for individual plans and $23.99 to $27.99 a month for family plans from September.

As Yahoo’s Tom Flanagan wrote today, the latest Spotify hike has him asking if it’s time to pull the plug on one of his many subscriptions.

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“While the supermarkets cop the worst of the anger from Aussies, it seems just about everyone is trying to squeeze an extra dollar or two out of us at a time people are having to keep a really close eye on their budgets,” he said.

Netflix announced the cost increase of its three subscription tiers last week.

A standard plan with ads will jump from $7.99 to $9.99 per month, standard plans without ads will rise from $18.99 to $20.99 per month, and premium plans will go from $24.99 to $28.99 per month.

Kayo Sports also raised the price of its standard tier from $25 to $30 a month in June, while Stan Sport increased from $15 to $20 a month in July.

The majority of Australians have at least one streaming service and pay about $50 a month for the pleasure, according to Finder research.

Do you have a story to share? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com

Finder personal finance expert Taylor Blackburn told Yahoo Finance the combined cost of the most popular services had increased by $17, or an 11 per cent jump, between March and August.

“It’s definitely worth giving your subscriptions a health check. If you have four subscriptions, you could easily be paying $20 more a month with these changes – or $240 more per year,” Blackburn said.

Finder analysis found you would be paying $1,087 per year if you subscribed to the top eight TV streaming services — HBO Max, Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Prime Video, Binge, Paramount Plus, Apple TV and Hayu.

Finder price difference from 2022 and 2025 subscriptions — Finder calculated how much streaming subscriptions have gone up over the last three years. (Source: Finder)

The average Aussie is spending $47 a month on streaming services, Finder found.

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Citi Names Asghar Ali as Head of Corporate Banking Real Estate

Citigroup Inc. has named Asghar Ali as head of corporate banking real estate, as the bank looks to strengthen its presence in the sector, according to a an internal memo seen by Bloomberg.

Ali will be based in New York and reporting to the co-heads of corporate banking, Jason Rekate and John Chirico, according to the memo. He will also join the Corporate Banking Executive Committee, the memo added.

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Walmart (WMT) Q2 2026 earnings

The logos of Walmart and Sam’s Club are pictured in Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico, January 30, 2025.

Raquel Cunha | Reuters

Walmart will report quarterly earnings on Thursday, as economists and investors try to gauge how U.S. consumers are responding to President Donald Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on dozens of countries across the globe.

Here’s what Wall Street expects for the big-box retailer, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Earnings per share: 74 cents expected
Revenue: $176.16 billion

As the largest U.S. retailer, Walmart offers a unique window into the financial health of American households. As higher duties have come in fits and starts — with some getting delayed and others going into effect earlier this month — Wall Street has tried to understand how those costs will ripple through the U.S. economy.

The company has said it expects net sales to rise between 3.5% and 4.5% for the fiscal second quarter, but it did not provide earnings guidance for the period because of changing U.S. tariff policies.

Walmart said in May that it expects full-year sales to grow 3% to 4% and adjusted earnings to range from $2.50 to $2.60 per share.

The Arkansas-based discounter said in May that, even with its size and scale, it would have to to raise prices for some items because of higher duties.

Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told CNBC at the time that tariffs were “still too high,” despite Trump agreeing at the time to lower duties on imports from China to 30% for 90 days. Earlier this month, Trump delayed China’s tariff deadline again, keeping the levies at that rate.

“We’re wired for everyday low prices, but the magnitude of these increases is more than any retailer can absorb,” Rainey told CNBC in May. “It’s more than any supplier can absorb. And so I’m concerned that consumers are going to start seeing higher prices.”

About a third of what Walmart sells in the U.S. comes from other parts of the world, with China, Mexico, Canada, Vietnam and India representing its largest markets for imports, Rainey said in May.

Walmart’s comments drew ire from Trump, who said in a social media post that Walmart should “EAT THE TARIFFS.”

According to an analysis by CNBC of about 50 items sold by the retailer, some of those price changes have already hit shelves. Items that rose in price at Walmart over the summer included a frying pan, a pair of jeans and a car seat.

Yet even with higher costs from tariffs, Walmart has fared better than its retail competitors as it has leaned into its reputation for value, competed on faster deliveries to customers’ homes and attracted more business from higher-income households.

It also marked a milestone in May — posting its first profitable quarter for its e-commerce business in the U.S. and globally. Its online business has drummed up more revenue, as it has sold more advertising and made commissions from sellers who are part of its third-party marketplace.

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Thailand requires banks to cap most online transfers at $1,500 daily to thwart scammers

BANGKOK — Banks in Thailand are now required to set a daily limit of 50,000 baht ($1,537) on many online transfers to lessen financial fraud, particularly those involving customers judged vulnerable such as children and older people.

The rule announced Tuesday by the Bank of Thailand is meant to help combat the huge criminal industry of online scams, which makes billions of dollars annually and is especially active in Southeast Asia. In many countries there is increasing pressure on banks to play a more active role in safeguarding the assets of customers targeted by scammers.

The new measure aims to curb financial fraud by preventing criminals from receiving and transferring a large amount of money at one time, and enabling timely freezing of illicit funds in order to increase the chances that victims will be able to recover at least some of their money, according to Daranee Saeju, the bank’s assistant governor for Payment Systems Policy and Financial Consumer Protection.

The daily transfer limit will be applied to transfers in three different tiers: under 50,000 baht ($1,537), under 200,000 baht ($6,147) and above 200,000 baht ($6,147), depending on each customer’s risk profile and the banks’ assessment under know-your-customer, or KYC, rules.

Customers with established records of responsibility can continue transferring at their usual levels.

This measure will be implemented for new mobile banking and internet banking customers by the end of this month and for existing customers by the end of this year.

Thailand has around 12 million mobile banking users, according to a report Wednesday in the Bangkok Post newspaper. It said previous central bank safeguards capped mobile banking transfers at 50,000 baht ($1,537) per transaction — with facial recognition required — and 200,000 baht ($6,147) per day in total.

In June alone this year, 24,500 scam cases related to money transfers were reported to the authorities, causing total losses of 2.8 billion baht ($86.1 million) — an average of 114,000 baht ($3,504) per case. The largest single fraudulent transfer amounted to 4.9 million baht ($150,591), the Post reported, citing the central bank.

On average, scammers needed only three minutes to siphon off half of the stolen funds, while victims typically took 19–25 hours to report the crime, the newspaper reported.

For the first six months of this year, children under 15 were involved in 78,468 financial scam cases, while victims over 65 years of age accounted for 416,453 cases, it said.

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Baidu Sales Slide Most Since 2022 in Fierce China AI Contest

A Baidu AI Cloud advertisement featuring humanoid robots at the Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai.

(Bloomberg) — Baidu Inc.’s quarterly revenue fell its most in about three years, hurt by an economic downturn that’s capping its ability to fight bigger rivals in AI and make inroads in newer areas.

The Ernie chatbot creator’s sales in the June quarter fell 4% to 32.7 billion yuan ($4.6 billion), weighed down by a slowdown in its core internet search operations. Net income rose 33%, versus projections for a decline, helped by a boost from long-term investments. The company’s shares slid as much as 3% in Hong Kong Thursday.

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Japan’s 20-Year Yield Rises to Highest Since 1999 on Fiscal Woes – Bloomberg.com

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SPX ZERO DTE ALGO – Learn to trade zero DTE S&P Options: Beta 2 Is Live. Test Drive SPY, ES & SPX

AI Software Engineer Qamar Zaman Explains Q ALOG. AI-Powered Algorithm So Simple “Even Grandma Can Do This” is now live for beta 2. Now playing on Coffee With Q Podcast

George Town, Cayman Islands, Aug. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

SPX ZERO DTE ALGO Software Beta 2 Is Live. Test Drive SPY, ES & SPX

SPX ZERO DTE ALGO – Learn to trade zero DTE S&P Options: Beta 2 Is Live. Test Drive SPY, ES & SPX

Cayman Islands-Based Innovator’s Student-Becomes-Teacher Story Features Mentor Achieving Perfect 10/10 Trading Day Using Q’s “Netflix of Trading” System

In a remarkable reversal of roles that epitomizes innovation in financial technology, Qamar “Q” Zaman, a former software engineer turned algorithmic trading pioneer, has developed a revolutionary trading system that has transformed his own mentor into his student. The Q Algo Zero DTE SPX system recently enabled G, Q’s original trading coach, to achieve a perfect 10/10 trading success rate, prompting G to declare he was “Using Jet Fuel!”

Jet Fuel

G’s recent testimonial speaks volumes: “Using Jet Fuel! That’s how I had 10/10 trades today. I finally got a 100% success rate!” The comment underscores the system’s ability to deliver consistent results even for experienced traders.

The achievement represents more than just profitable trades—it validates Q’s mission to democratize algorithmic trading through what he calls “the Netflix of trading,” a system designed to make complex market analysis as simple as following a recipe from grandma’s kitchen.

Breaking Down Barriers to Financial Success

Q’s journey began as a frustrated student who resisted traditional trading education. “I don’t want to learn anything,” he told his mentor G. “Just give me a structure, and then I will trade.” That resistance sparked an innovation that has revolutionized how retail traders approach the markets.

The Q Algo system transforms intimidating technical analysis into intuitive metaphors: blue gift boxes signal bullish opportunities, yellow boxes indicate bearish moves, and “pancakes” replace confusing candlestick charts. Support and resistance levels become “ceilings and floors,” while VWAP indicators are simplified into a “fishing river” where traders catch “green fish” or “red fish” depending on market direction.

When the Student Surpasses the Teacher

The ultimate validation came when G, who originally taught Q the fundamentals of options trading and market psychology, began using Q’s system for his own trades. “If my teacher tells me I’m his teacher, I think it’s more than money,” Q reflected during a recent Coffee with Q podcast demonstration.

Technology Meets Humanity

What sets Q’s approach apart isn’t just the sophisticated AI algorithms running behind the scenes—it’s the deeply personal connection he maintains with his late grandmother’s wisdom. Raised by his grandmother while his parents lived abroad, Q channels her memory in his daily trading guidance and educational content.

“While she’s gone, I remember her, and now grandma is kind of helping me complete this mission,” Q explains. This personal touch has transformed cold technical analysis into warmth-infused education that students find both memorable and actionable.

Proven Results in Real-Time

During a video demonstration, Q showcased the system’s effectiveness with actual trades:

Trade 1: One-minute call option yielding $2.00 premium gain
Trade 2: Five-minute position generating $2.20 premium gain
Trade 3: Strategic put option capturing downward movement

Each trade followed the system’s clear signals, eliminating guesswork and emotional decision-making that typically plague retail traders. Many of Q’s friends and case studies are being rolled out so this is not a 1 trick pony – multiple users across various market conditions are demonstrating the system’s consistent performance and reliability.

The Educational Revolution

The Q Algo system addresses a critical gap in financial education identified by Q: “The people that knew it did not want to make it easy, and the people that did not know it made it very complicated because they didn’t know how to sell it.”

Through the Coffee with Q platform, users receive:

14-day observation period to learn without pressure
Multi-panel dashboard showing momentum, direction, and timing
AI-powered signal generation without technical complexity
Community-driven learning through member success stories
Weekly podcast reviews analyzing real market conditions for members.

Industry Impact and Future Vision

Q’s innovation represents a paradigm shift from complexity-based trading education to clarity-focused results. The system’s success has attracted attention from retail traders seeking alternatives to overwhelming traditional approaches that often lead to analysis paralysis and emotional trading mistakes.

“We want this adoption to happen,” Q states. “We’re not a service announcing trades. We want people to watch us, learn, and develop their own confidence through systematic approaches rather than emotional decision-making.”

About Qamar “Q” Zaman and Coffee with Q

Qamar Zaman is a successful digital marketing executive and software development entrepreneur based in the Cayman Islands. After transitioning into algorithmic trading, he developed the Q Algo Zero DTE SPX system to democratize access to sophisticated trading tools. The Coffee with Q platform serves as both an educational resource and community hub for traders seeking systematic approaches to market participation.

The complete educational breakdown and system demonstration is available at: https://www.coffeewithq.org/q-algo-zero-dte-spx-algo-from-student-to-teacher-how-qs-revolutionary-trading-algorithm-transforms-complex-markets-into-simple-decisions/

Media Contact: Coffee with Q Media Relations
Email: digital@kisspr.com
Website: www.coffeewithq.org

Investment Disclaimer: Trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

Note to editors: High-resolution images, additional quotes, and interview opportunities with Q are available upon request. The complete video demonstration featuring live trades and system walkthrough can be accessed through the Coffee with Q platform.

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Trading Involves Risk

Trading financial instruments, including but not limited to stocks, options, futures, and currencies, involves a high degree of risk and is not suitable for every investor. You should carefully consider whether trading is appropriate for your financial situation. Only risk capital should be used when trading.

Q Factor is a software tool designed to assist traders in analyzing market data, developing strategies, and managing trading decisions. It is not a trading signal service, brokerage, advisory service, or educational course. Q Factor does not execute trades on your behalf, provide individualized investment advice, or guarantee any trading results.

All outputs generated by Q Factor—such as indicators, analytics, strategy suggestions, or performance reports—are for informational and research purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. The accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of data or analysis generated by Q Factor are not guaranteed. Any trading decisions you make based on information from Q Factor are made entirely at your own risk.

You are solely responsible for assessing the potential risks and consequences of your trading activities. Past performance, whether simulated or historical, is not necessarily indicative of future results.

Market Opinions Are Not Investment Advice

Any market commentary, forecasts, back testing results, or strategy ideas generated or displayed by Q Factor are general market opinions and not specific investment recommendations. We accept no liability for any loss or damage, including but not limited to loss of capital or profit, that may arise directly or indirectly from the use of Q Factor or reliance on its outputs.

Technology & Internet Risks

Trading with the assistance of internet-connected software carries inherent risks, including but not limited to:

Hardware or software failures
Internet connectivity issues
Data transmission delays
System compatibility problems

Q Factor and its developers cannot control third-party data feeds, signal strength, or internet reliability, and therefore accept no responsibility for communication failures, errors, or delays in market data delivery.

U.S. Government Required Disclaimer – CFTC Rule 4.41

Futures and options trading has large potential rewards but also large potential risk. You must be aware of the risks and be willing to accept them in order to invest in these markets. Do not trade with money you cannot afford to lose. This software is neither a solicitation nor an offer to buy/sell futures, options, or any financial instruments. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown.

Hypothetical or Simulated Performance Disclaimer:

“HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE MANY INHERENT LIMITATIONS. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN. In fact, there are often sharp differences between hypothetical performance results and the actual results subsequently achieved by any trading program.”

Factors such as market volatility, emotional discipline, slippage, and order execution can significantly impact real trading results and cannot be fully accounted for in simulated performance.

Daily reports are generated by Q ALGO algorithms for informational purposes only.

All analysis represents algorithmic processing of market data and should not be construed as investment advice. Users are responsible for their own trading decisions and risk management.

Information may contain errors or omissions; users must independently verify all data and assume full responsibility for trading decisions – Q Factor disclaims liability for any inaccuracies or resulting losses.